Meddling Miracles
by UchiQueen
Summary: The Miracles have always focused on basketball throughout their lives, but what happens when they stick their talented noses into other people's businesses..? (Light, drabble.)
1. Chapter 1

**Meddling Miracles.**

* * *

_"Meet me by the train station tomorrow at twelve near your school, Tatsuya! -Kagami" _[Delivered on Friday, April 11th. 4:19 p.m.]

The sound of fingers hitting the keypad of the phone echoed across the empty locker-room. Deleting the message, he placed the phone where he'd found it, exhaling and patting Nigou before exiting the room.

The knowing smirk that graced his face was soon gone, wiped as Tiaga called out. "Oi, did you get my drink?"

* * *

_"Meet me by the train station tomorrow at twelve near my school, Tiaga! -Himuro" _[Delivered on Friday, April 11th. 6:37 p.m.]

He placed the phone down, a frown on his face as he wiped the sweat off his face. Annoying, that's what it was, to have to be the one to do it. However, he was promised to be treated to some sort of treat if this worked.

He walked toward the showers, yawning lazily as he passed the source of his recent headaches. "Muro-chin.. Let's go to that new bakery after this.."

* * *

"I thought it was just going to be us.." Hirumo seemed determined to stare Kuroko down until he truly vanished, which would not really have been anything unexpected..

"I could say the same _exact _thing.." However, the fact that Kagami was staring Murasakibara down with what seemed to be the same intention made everything just a bit more awkward.

"Ohayo minna.." Kuroko said after a stretched out minute, his gaze flitting from Kagami to the men in front of him. If one could even call them that, they were more like stubborn elementary school students..

"Kuro-chin." If there was one thing that was good about Murasakibara's childishness, it was his apparent innocence. He chewed on the chocolate covered stick in his mouth, patting his old teammate gently on the head, just once, so as not to annoy him.

"Oi.." Kagami muttered, not once looking at Hirumo as he grew increasingly annoyed. Kuroko glanced at Himuro as he fixed his hair, taking only a second to realize that he was becoming furious.

The blue haired shadow cleared his throat, returning his gaze to the milkshake in his grasp. He only wished he could demand more compensation from Kagami for this situation..

"Kuro-chin. I'm out of snacks." The center almost whined, not even looking at Kagami or Hirumo as he spoke. He knew who he wanted around him, especially with the moods _certain _idiots had worked themselves into. As Kagami opened his mouth to comment, Kuroko's lips twitched slightly upward and he nodded, silently thanking the gentle giant.

"Hai, I'll treat you." Without so much as a warning he walked off with Murasakibara, pausing a few feet later only to call back. "Have fun, you two.. We'll find you later."

Kagami gaped at the two members of the Generation of Miracles for a moment, before turning to find Himuro barely more composed than he was. His brother looked at him, blinking for a moment before smiling wryly. "We were just ditched.."

* * *

"Kuro-chin.." The giant's gentle hand again descended on his head, ruining his concentration for the second time in as many minutes. "Kuro-chin.. Don't you want any food?"

Kuroko exhaled silently, turning back to look at the taller man with a carefully blank expression. "I'm fine with my shake, Murasakibara-kun. Now let's follow them.. Quietly."

The purple-haired man simply nodded and followed Kuroko, quietly munching on his food. He knew why they were being this quiet, and stealthy, he just grew bored..

"Oh.. They're doing something." He commented offhandedly, seemingly unconsciously crouching beside the phantom and offering his a particularly good vanilla candy. It was with the same ease that Kuroko nodded and made a small noise of gratitude, taking the candy.

"Kuro-chin?" The giant whispered, blinking owlishly.

"Hai?" Came the automatic response as they followed the two into an arcade.

"Can we play some games another time..?" The innocent smile the center gave him almost forced the nod out of him.

"Of course, Atsushi-kun." Honestly, Kuroko thought as he found himself enveloped in a gentle hug, it was so easy to please him..

* * *

"What do you wanna do?" Tatsuya rattled off in English, glancing down the road as he shoved his hands in his pockets. It seemed as if Kuroko had lent some of his invisibility to Atsushi at the moment, as there was not a sign of either of them..

"I don't know. You live around here.." Came the decidedly grumpy reply from Kagami, the loss of his shadow set him further on edge around his newly recovered brother.

There was a moment of silence as the two looked around and avoided looking at each other. The heaviness that had settled when Kagami stepped out of the train had not left and neither of the brothers were quite mature enough to fix it..

"Tiaga, there's an arcade over there." Tatsuya pointed past a bakery, one he knew well, to a well lit sign that proclaimed '**Game Corner!**' in big red lettering.

Kagami took one look at his brother and grinned, issuing the challenge as they both automatically started walking toward it. "Shooting games or hoops?"

* * *

"Kuro-chin, it's been.. Two? No, **three** hours..!" Murasakibara whined, having given up on this game of 'Let's get the brothers to get along' a while ago. He simply sighed and cracked his neck, tired of watching the two squabble over stupid things.

Kuroko sighed and nodded, finally giving in and looking toward his old teammate. "It's been long enough.. Let's go."

As Atsushi walked off, Kuroko took a moment to stretch and check the time. It was already four, and while the last train left at nine, he didn't know if five hours was enough for these two..

"Kuroko! Get over here! We need one more for this game!" Kagami called, drawing his shadow out of his rather darkening thoughts.

* * *

**Three Hours Later.**

* * *

There was a loud sigh as Murasakibara held the plastic cup of ice to his friend's neck. "Kuro-chin, never again."

The quiet response that sounded something remarkably similar to a 'hai' was muffled by the table Kuroko had buried his face in. He had given up, to an extent, on the brothers. It was astounding to him how they managed to argue after six hours..

He doubted even Kise and Aomine could match them.

"Tiaga, just give up!" Tatsuya said, rather loudly as he sat across from Atsushi.

"Hell, no!" The hand slamming on the table was rather unnecessary, Kuroko thought, flinching into a sitting position and staring at his equally loud partner. Did they know exactly how obnoxious they were acting?

Atsushi made a noise of disapproval, glad that the ice had not fallen when Kuroko had moved, yet still royally annoyed. "Shut up or I'll crush you both.."

Kuroko frowned at the usually gentle giant, about to deem such words unnecessary, before he found himself being cut off. That had happened a lot today, and it was starting to grate on his nerves..

"Atsushi, what are you talking about?"

"Ehh? Is the baby _angry_?"

At that particular moment, Kuroko realized two very important things. One, that he would never accompany Kagami and his brother anywhere ever again. Two, they, in their own messed up way, had just made up.

"Murasakibara-kun, you can crush them.." Kuroko said, leaning back as he closed his eyes and took the ice from the no longer gentle giant. It was at approximately 7:23 p.m. on a Saturday in April, that Kagami and Himuro finally made up..

* * *

**Three Weeks Later.**

* * *

"Ne, Tiaga? Why didn't you just call last time?"

Tiaga looked at his brother strangely, wrinkling his nose. "What are you talking about? You sent the text."

"No.. You did.."

It was nearly a full month before two of the quietest of the Miracles got caught red-handed.


	2. Chapter 2 (Part One)

**Chapter 2 (Part One) - Baseball Caps and Burdens**

* * *

_"Everyone's visiting, let's meet at the usual time at the Maji Burger. Sunday, yeah? -M.C." _[Delivered on Thursday, April 24. 7:19 p.m.]

* * *

Midroma finished filing his nails, glancing them over quickly before looking at the back of his teammate. There was something bothering the bespectacled man, and as per his usual, he had ignored it until the last minute.

"Takao, are you going the street-ball tournament the day after tomorrow with the other first years?" It was a sudden question, perhaps one that he should have asked sooner, but it was one he hadn't received a text message from Kuroko.

"Hmm..? Is Shin-chan going?" An easy smile on his face, Takao pulled on his shirt and turned to his ace, not answering him as of yet.

"They didn't ask me." No one ever asked him, as he was a member of the 'intimidating' and 'strange' Generation of Miracles. "Besides, my luck isn't favorable on that day.. But that wasn't the question."

Midorima did notice that Takao's eyes narrowed slightly at the admission of his exclusion, he, however, ignored it. There was no need for the point guard to feel anything on his behalf, it wasn't as though he cared.

_I'm used to it. Being small or big, if carrying around lucky items, you get treated like a virus._

He did not, in comparison, ignore the obvious signs that Takao was nervous about the tournament on Sunday. He watched carefully as the hawk-eyed boy scratched the back of his neck. "I had plans for that day, but I said I would try and make it.. Demo, if Shin-chan isn't going.."

Takao promptly found a plush dog launched at his face and burst into laughter, redirecting the conversation. He did not realize that Midorima had already assessed the situation thoroughly, and chosen to stay quiet.

_Who is M.C. and why am I getting a bad feeling about this..?_

* * *

Midorima knew that Takao was hiding _something. _He didn't know what, but he knew that it was something of importance. It wasn't as if the green-haired boy cared, of course not.

_Get real, you aren't that important Takao.._

He just happened to be in the same general area as Takao's secretive meeting, which he had just _happened_ to see the details of on his phone, and he just happened to be wearing a baseball cap.

_My lucky item came in handy as well.._

That much was true, the gray hooded sweatshirt his horoscope had recommended helped to hide his bulky build and the green hair that stuck out of the back of his cap. It seemed, as always, that fate was on his side.

* * *

**One Hour Later.**

* * *

Although, not knowing the time for the meeting was troublesome. As was sitting in the corner away from the door, which was also slightly behind a plant. He looked like a hooligan and had been receiving the stink eye from the person behind the counter.

_If it rains, I might just kill Takao and call it a day.._

He stood up and bought himself a small order of fries, hesitantly adding a vanilla milkshake onto his order after a moment of thought. He had to save money for his ride home, but waiting on Takao, this was hungry work. It seemed even this crap was above acceptable today..

"Have a nice day, _sir._" Midorima had half a mind to tell the woman to shove the fries somewhere very unladylike, however he contained himself. He just nodded and walked past the new arrivals, too angry to focus as he sat back down. If he had been any tighter wound he would have slammed his tray down.

"Kuso.." He had even sipped on the damned overly sweet shake, he'd curse Kuroko for recommending it later, before he realized he knew one of their voices.

"I swear, I was starting to think I had the wrong number! Why didn't you ever answer? Oh, did you consider playing again? You were so good, you know." The familiar voice babbled, drawing an annoyed gaze from both the server and Midorima. He was worse than Kise at times, honestly..

_Takao, you idiot.._

"Shut up, Kazu. Gomen." Midorima forgot his meal, staring a hole into the back of his companion's head as he ordered for them both. Who was this person, why did he not know or remember him, and why were they _so _close?

He swore he didn't care. He swore he didn't glare when they sat too far away for him to hear anything. He _swore _he didn't start to stand up when Takao started to tear up over something the unknown man said.

_I'm just eating out today.. That's all.._

He glared at his food, almost untouched, as if blaming it for _everything_ wrong with this picture, or better yet his _life_.

He should have left Takao alone at this point. He was safe, at least relatively. His companion seemed sane, hopefully anyway. Nothing particularly bad was occurring, except for Shintaro's growing stomach ache.

So what he couldn't quite explain was..

_Why the fuck am I following the idiot?_

* * *

**Two Stores and A Confusing Taxi Ride (Chase) Later.**

* * *

He was hiding behind a, thankfully, evergreen tree. He had lost his cap somewhere in his haste to leave the cab, pay the fare, and run after the two other boys. Of course, Midorima had no problem doing all this subtly, he was a natural at stealth.

Thank god for trees, yes?

"I could have _sworn _I heard something.." He heard the unknown boy mumble as he clutched at the purchases they'd acquired from the stores they'd stopped at.

He already knew the contents, of course, not that he had thrown a hissy fit over them. A dozen lilies, which Takao had joking presented to his friend, some canned drinks, and a few already made meals. There was nothing special or outrageous.

_They're nice flowers, I just don't like lilies, that's all.. Ridiculous things._

He pushed up his glasses, following the two boys over a hill. Midorima was starting to consider just going home, as it looked like it was going to rain, when he started to see the grave stones. Perhaps it was his luck, good or bad, that Takao did not notice him as he now openly followed them, his hair standing out as plain as day.

"Tch.. It's not like we're that special man, let's just hurry this up." There was something different about Takao's tone, and if he didn't know any better, he'd have said he was upset over something.

That, however, was impossible. This was Takao, and no matter the situation, he was happy. It was probably just the fact that they were cutting through this area, he was probably nervous, or something of the like..

_Stop being so slow.._

Midorima paused as they did, blinking slowly as he realized he wasn't hidden and crouching behind a shrub. His hair did come in handy at times, although rarely, and he found himself wanting to pull the hood over his head again.

"Looks like the others got here first.." The man chuckled softly. Midorima didn't want to risk peeking, but he leaned as close as possible, trying to hear everything. He couldn't help it, truly, his interest was peaked.

"Yeah, we always were the stragglers.." Takao's laughter seemed off, and Midorima swore he couldn't help the fact that he peeked over the bush. He did regret it immediately, however, as he saw that Takao wasn't talking to his friend anymore. "I guess some things never change, do they Captain?"

He was talking to a simple and well cared for tombstone.


	3. Chapter 2 (Part Two)

**Chapter 2 (Part 2) - Baseball Caps and Burdens**

* * *

Midorima couldn't move.

"Do you remember that time?" Takao was laughing, but it sounded wrong, so wrong to the green-haired miracle. "When we filled the gym with ducklings? Oh god, I thought he was going to make us run our legs off!"

He physically couldn't move. He had sunk down behind the bush and stayed there, his usually morbid expression wiped off his face and replaced with shock. His thoughts were a mess, a complete mess, and he felt like..

He felt worse than Akashi.

"I can't believe you got that green-bean to stop being _such _an asshole, I bet he can't either." Midorima swallowed, feeling as though he'd betrayed Takao in a way, again.

_I need to leave, right now, before he sees me. I also need to figure out how to make amends without him realizing.._

"Shut up, he ain't that bad." Takao laughed, it sounded lighter, natural, but it was short.

It was cut off by sharp reply of his friend. "The man you speak so _fondly _of was the reason for this, you know that, they all were."

Wait, what? What had he done, Midorima could feel his heart sinking as Takao replied but he didn't know why. "Shin-chan.. He didn't-"

"He committed _suicide _after that game, Takao. It's their fault, and you can't fix-" His friend had stood up, yet he had stopped speaking and paled, his mouth falling open.

He had seen Midorima, and Midroma?

He ran, blinded by some unknown force and deaf to Takao's cries.

* * *

**One Hour Later.**

* * *

"Shin-chan?" Takao found Midorima exactly where he'd least expected, exactly where Midorima's horoscope recommended he not be today.

_Dribble, shoot, get another ball. Dribble, shoot, get another ball.._

For the first time, Takao witnessed the proud member of the Generation of Miracles miss three shots in a row. For the second time, he witnessed the most defeated stance he'd ever seen the proud boy display.

Takao could only think to call him lost, or perhaps, broken would be a better word.

Midorima did not protest, for once, or speak as he felt cold and wet hands grasp his own bleeding, ragged ones. It was such a change from the normal state he kept his fingers in..

_Not like punching the side of that cab has anything to do with this.._

He found himself following Takao's silent tugs, almost lifelessly, eventually sitting on the bleachers when he was pushed toward them.

"What were you thinking?" He wasn't sure exactly what he was being scolded for. As, he hadn't really thought anything that made much sense through today..

He watched silently as Takao reached into his pocket and pulled out a roll of sticky tape. His gut almost hurt as he mentally noted how prepared the smaller boy was. The wouldn't help much now, however, it might prevent further bleeding and it was a nice thought.

Takao was silent as he removed the remains of the previous tape, not looking at Midorima.

_He probably never wants to look at me, I am a filthy murderer._

He jerked his hands from Takao's grasp reflexively, causing them both to freeze for a heavy moment. Takao made no attempt to take the hands back into his care, nor to look at him.

When Midorima finally spoke, it was with a note of finality and harshness. "You should hate me. So then, why did you agree to- to this.. To _babysitting _me..?"

He prayed, prayed that he hadn't, again, fucked something up. Even more than that, he prayed that Takao proved his fears wrong.

"It.. It wasn't your-" Somehow it felt like he was being slapped, or stabbed.

"Don't feed me that bullshit, Takao." He snapped, his voice cracking as he stood up again. Of course it was his fault, _he _was the most sane member of the Teiko starters, minus Kuroko, he should have stopped them. He had been a monster, an enabler, he'd even participated..

It was useless to even pretend that he was paying attention anymore, he swallowed harshly and walked to the ball nearest to him. Picking it up and shooting it seamlessly. Takao stared in shock as the ace missed again.

"Shin-chan.." His voice was tiny, insignificant, and Takao knew it.

Midorima aimed again, his blood smearing onto the basketball, and released another shot. He didn't flinch or even look at the hoop, he knew he was missing, he just..

_Why should I be allowed to be perfect.. If being perfect hurts those like Takao?_

* * *

**Twenty Minutes Later. **[In this section, note that this is Takao, Midorima is just exhausted and being very.. him.]

* * *

He continued like that for what seemed like ages, before reluctantly pausing, mid-shoot. Was he already at his limit?

Apparently, while his mind said no, his body said yes, forcing him to drop the basketball. He muttered a curse, attempting to bend to pick it up and clumsily falling to his knees. Well, he now looked as pathetic as he felt, and to top it all off, he felt like staying on his knees for a while.

He closed his eyes and sighed, flexing his destroyed fingers before tilting his head upward. He didn't think he was being dramatic, oh no, he just couldn't find a better way to do things.

_Maybe this is why people sometimes think me to be strange.._

"Midorima." The soft voice called from behind him. He ignored it, he must have been imagining it, there was no way Takao had stayed. Better yet, there was no way Takao would call him anything except Shin-chan, as annoying as it was.

He was imagining things, honestly.

It was probably from exhaustion, or his mental state, but he could swear someone was shaking him. He really wanted to tell them to stop, but who would he tell, there was no one to tell. Yet, he found himself opening his eyes.

_This isn't real, so.. I can just talk. Yeah?_

Midorima swallowed upon seeing the expression on his hallucinatory Takao's face. He was crying, snot and all.

"I couldn't imagine something nicer, huh?" He muttered, fixing his glasses that had been shaken askew.

Takao hit him on the head, and for someone he was hallucinating, he hit hard. "Baka..! Why won't you listen to me or talk to me!? This fixes nothing!"

Ah, perhaps this was that annoying thing that people called their guilty conscience. Was it going to argue with him and tell him to go and die, or something of the like? It had chosen a damned good form.

"How did you even find me today?" The annoyed mutter came after a moment. A guilt trip? This thing was decent, but then again, if it was made up of _his_ brain matter..

"I obviously followed Takao, after saw that text, I was.. Curious, but didn't know what to ask, and suspicious of friend.." He trailed off, noting he sounded robotic. He really wanted to sleep, or shower, a shower was sounding nice.

There was a lull in conversion, one that a more lucid Midorima would have identified as a shocked silence, before Takao again spoke. "Why did you do this to yourself?"

There was a tough question. His subconscious really knew where to hit, he'd give it that. He pondered, wondering why he was pondering, and replied in a rather dull tone of voice.

"Why didn't I stop Akashi? Why didn't I quit basketball? Why didn't I support Kuroko sooner?" All of this was quite despairing, and he could feel his conscience gripping his shoulder as it seeped into his voice. "Why did I hurt so many? Why do my fingers enable me to do so? Why? Why indeed?"

Silence. There was not really much that his brain could answer him, as he was asking himself all these senseless things. He pushed his glasses up again, an automatic thing that seemed to break the cloudiness that had formed in his head.

_So then, why is this conscience of mine still here?_


	4. Chapter 2 (Part Three)

**Chapter 2 (Part Three) - Baseball Caps and Burdens**

* * *

**Takao's POV.**

* * *

He was speechless, hell, if he was honest with himself he was shocked. There wasn't even an ounce of amusement in him, even as Midorima spoke in third person.

"It wasn't your fault." He managed out, hand clenching harshly around the useless roll of tape. It hadn't been, not completely anyway, it had just been the Miracles' horrid way of defeating them that had been the final push.

It took almost everything in Takao not to flinch as cold, lifeless green eyes lifted up and focused on him. There wasn't even an angry spark left in them, it hurt to see, the utter defeat of a changed man.

"Liar." It was the last word the shooter said before laying back, almost as if giving up on this entire process. "For a figment of my mind, you're pretty shit at convincing me that I didn't kill someone."

_That explains the loose tongue.. You masochistic bastard._

"One should learn to listen when people talk to them." Takao sat back and flicked Midorima's forehead, taking a hand into his own to examine the damage. It looked serious, to say the least, it would probably take weeks too heal properly. "It's insulting to be called fake."

Green eyes stayed fixed on him as their owner's frown deepened. "Liar."

"Repeating yourself won't change things." He responded simply, kneeing Midorima in the gut. "Now listen, captain was already fucked in the head.. It wasn't.. It was a long time coming.. You _can't _belittle his death by saying it was over a single game. Understand?"

It was hard to watch, the second hardest thing really, to see a once-proud man refuse to accept that he wasn't a sinner.

_Harder to think this is your halfway your fault, huh?_

* * *

**End of Takao's POV**

* * *

Midorima was stubborn at the best of times, but even he couldn't deny that a guilty conscience wouldn't have been able to touch him. They sat like that for a while, Midorima too tired to move and Takao refusing to..

"Go away."

The nudge to his abdomen was becoming annoyingly commonplace. "No. Not until you agree that you've changed and that you weren't responsible."

The green-haired boy eventually sat up, listening not to his screaming muscles, but to his anger, his self-hate. He grabbed the clean, wet t-shirt Takao wore and shook him roughly. "You _keep _saying things.. But you haven't told me a single good reason why..!"

It was wrong, perhaps, that he was doing what he did, but it was the only he knew how to ask..

_Please.. Tell me I'm not so terrible..?_

"You're want a reason?" There it was again, that unbelievably soft tone, he hadn't thought Takao could produced something like it..

Midorima didn't nod or deny it, however, he was too _tired_ to move, to shove Takao away. If he was honest, it was more the gentleness that was unlike the bubbly eagle-eyed basketball player that kept him in place and silent.

"You're a horoscope obsessed freak, but your insecurity makes it easier for the other first years to exist." Midorima's eyes narrowed as the smaller boy spoke. That was, while possibly slightly true, a harsh way of putting it. It also wasn't as if he aimed to do that..

"You are so dedicated," Takao pushed on, not allowing him to voice his thoughts. "and it matters! It rubs off on the others! You taping your fingers? We all see that, we all know how hard you work and you _motivate_ us."

Well.. Midorima opened his mouth to retort that he didn't do it for that reason, that he did it for himself and only himself. Yet, as he was cut off again, he knew it was a lie..

"That match against Hanayama." Takao gave him a look that shut him up, again. Although that had also been somewhat selfish, he had only done it to win..

_Shut up. I could of stopped them.. I knew.. I knew it was wrong.._

Midorima started to stand, pushing against the cold and unforgiving floor with his screaming fingers, only to be stopped as Takao grabbed him around the waist. "What are y-"

It was barely a whisper, and it could have been lost in Midorima's annoyed shout or his jacket, but somehow.. He heard it, loud and clear.

"You helped me find the fun in basketball again."

* * *

"Midorima, this loss is your fault!" He ducked as a pineapple came flying at him. Honestly, did they wish to harm him further? "If you hadn't worked _so _hard..!"

Takao came up behind their captain and slung an arm around his shoulder, grinning. "He wouldn't be Shin-chan if he wasn't such a tsundere, right? Right?"

_If I could talk I would.._

A sneeze racked his body and he glared at Takao as he fixed his glasses, silently blaming him again. "Awe, don't make that face at me _Shin-chaan._"

It just wasn't fair that Takao was healthy..


End file.
